The present invention relates to automation, and more particularly to tools for engaging and lifting items via vacuum.
The robotics field has developed many tools for engaging and lifting items using end effectors. For example, end effectors sometimes employ suction cups for engaging a surface of an item and using a negative or suction pressure or vacuum to grasp the item.
Conventional suction cups on robotic end-of-arm tools have some limitations. For example, in a fulfillment center or like facility handling a great quantity of packages or objects per day, identifying and grasping using suction poses a significant challenge in robotic manipulation. In densely packed totes or like spaces it is often difficult to find horizontal surfaces of an item suitable for grasping. Hinged items, such as books, also pose a challenge for manipulation using suction due to the nature of the book binding acting as a hinge point. More generally, an item lifted by a suction cup might create a moment about the arm, or be subjected to another disturbance force. Mechanical intelligence, in general, addresses some drawbacks relating to control of mechanisms. The terms “mechanical intelligence” and “mechanically intelligent,” as used herein, refer to the ability of a mechanism to respond or react to the environment without guidance of a controller. A simple example of a mechanically intelligent device is one-way plastic hinge that enables bending in one direction while preventing, via its structure, bending in another.